Kutir’s Rohit Ghai Will Open a New Indian Restaurant in Mayfair

A new big-ticket Indian restaurant for Mayfair

Chef Rohit Ghai — best known for his work at Michelin-starred Trishna under JKS and then at Kutir, his own restaurant in Chelsea — will open Manthan in Mayfair. Manthan will serve sharing plates and tasting menus. While the restaurant will draw on his childhood in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the menu — almost half the dishes will be vegetarian — will feature traditional dishes “with a contemporary twist”, including goat shami kebab in bone marrow sauce, pyaz kachori, a take on the ram ladoo — a street food favourite — with mooli, yellow lentil and pomegranate, and more. Along with Ghai, co-founder and front of house Abhi Sangwan will focus on cocktails inspired by the seven oceans of the world. [Hot Dinners]

And in other news...

• Legendary London chef Florence Knight will return to the scene as head chef at Sessions Art Club in Clerkenwell.
• Pamela Yung and James Lowe’s Flor in Borough Market will redeploy the outdoor space it harnessed in the days of ASAP Pizza as “Flor Under the Arches” — a terrace area with its own menu highly derived from the original. That menu will include “gildas” of smoked eel and pickled caper leaf; pâté en croûte; a skate wing and leek terrine; and ajo blanco — reflecting the wine bar / pinxtos influence Flor sought to borrow on its initial opening and away from which it has gently curved under Yung’s elegantly globetrotting stewardship. It will open mid-July.
• The city’s restaurants will not reopen fully before 19 July, according to the current COVID-19 lockdown roadmap.
• A new bill aims to prevent restaurant owners from stealing tips from workers, but whether it will have any impact depends on its yet-to-be-determined particulars.
• An updated guide to eating outside when it’s raining...
• ... And dining solo in London.
• Good tweet (it’s eating, okay):